Trade with Atlanta nets former Long Beach State swingman, who will likely play next season abroad

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The Miami Heat did not have any picks in Thursday night's NBA draft, but they still managed to add a player to its roster by the end of the night.

The Heat acquired the rights to the draft's 50th overall pick, small forward James Ennis out of Long Beach State, through a trade with the Atlanta Hawks.

Miami will send a future second round pick to the Hawks in exchange for Ennis, who played his junior and senior seasons at Long Beach State after transferring from junior college.

"We were happy to get into the draft," Heat president Pat Riley said Thursday night. "We feel that James Ennis, with his size and athleticism, has a huge upside and someone we hope can develop into a high-quality NBA player."

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Ennis started 67 games for Long Beach State over two seasons, averaging 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.67 steals, and 1.03 blocks per game. He shot 49% from the field and 35% from three-point range. Ennis was named Big West Conference Player of the Year after his senior season.

Miami's first round pick was sent to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of the LeBron James acquisition in 2010. The Heat's second round pick was dealt to Memphis in February along with Dexter Pittman for the draft rights of Puerto Rican center Ricky Sanchez.

Ennis will be a long-term development project for the Heat, who have little room for him on the roster heading into the 2013-14 season. He will likely spend the next season playing abroad, as teams are not required to tender a guaranteed contract to second-round picks.